Battlestar Galactica: 10 WORST Things To Happen In The Colonial Fleet

3. Nuclear Explosion

Battlestar Galactica Cloud 9 Explodes
Universal

Lay Down Your Burdens Part 2 is the second season finale of Battlestar Galactica and it very literally goes out with a bang. After a divisive presidential campaign (sounds familiar?) Gaius Baltar has been elected the President of the Twelve Colonies. He immediately signs an executive order, compelling the fleet to start laying the ground work for a new colony on a recently discovered world.

This celebration is cut brutally short when Gina Inviere, a Cylon Number Six model who had been tortured by the crew of Pegasus, before striking something of a strange, sexual relationship with Baltar, detonates a nuclear warhead aboard Cloud 9 - the fleet's pleasure ship.

The resulting explosion kills thousands, destroying Cloud 9 and at least two other ships that were alongside. It is the first major crisis of Baltar's presidency - but the fact that the explosion was detected by the Cylons paves the way for a much darker crisis to follow.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"